Engineering Practice Report: Self-Review, Career Plan and Skills

This report delves into the practical aspects of engineering, specifically focusing on the student's self-assessment of skills, collaboration, and career planning. The report begins by analyzing the importance of teamwork and collaboration in engineering projects, drawing on the student's experiences and insights from the textbook "The Making of an Expert Engineer." It then explores the student's self-review of their work behaviors, identifying areas for improvement such as analytical aptitude, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Time management is also a key focus, with the student evaluating their effectiveness and outlining a plan for their career, including the types of companies they aspire to work for and the skills they need to develop. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and self-management for success in the field of mechanical engineering. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the student's reflections on essential engineering practices and career development.

Running head: ENGINEERING PRACTICE
Engineering Practice
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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ENGINEERING PRACTICE
1. Leading or Participating collaboratively in a team
a. As you have read through the textbook and worked on the project this term, in what new
ways do you now see collaboration? What skills are easy for you? (You may want to use
some examples, e.g., you might have captained a sporting team.) What skills do you now
realise you are still developing? How important have you found collaboration in your team
project? What's worked well for you? What has been frustrating?
Answer: After reading the book of “The Making of an Expert Engineer” by James P.
Trevelyan, I have understood that any project can be successful when it is completed
collaboratively in a team. I have known that any difficult work can become extremely easier,
when it is being executed in a team collaboratively (Trevelyan 2014). Before reading the
book, I had a vague idea regarding collaboration; however, after reading the book, I have
gathered the intense knowledge about collaborative work.
There are four specific skills in collaboration, which are sharing, trust, respect and
belonging (Trevelyan 2015). When I was in school, I was once appointed as the school
captain. At that time, I understood that I had the collaborative skills of trust and respect. My
fellow classmates trusted me and all my juniors showed respect. In my present day, I realise
that I am still developing the collaborative skill of sharing (Costa, Passos and Bakker 2014).
Previously, I did not have this skill.
I have realized that collaboration is extremely important for any project team as it
helps in the perfect execution of the project by incorporating the ideas of all the team
members (Galegher, Kraut and Egido 2014). This particular characteristic of incorporation of
various ideas has worked extremely well for my project. The only drawback of collaborative
work I feel is that due to several brainstorming sessions amongst the team members, often
clashes take place in the team.

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ENGINEERING PRACTICE
b. Write briefly about a situation where you have had to instruct someone. This might be in
the workplace or on a sporting team or another situation. How easy was that process?
What were the difficulties?
Answer: I feel that leading or instruction someone in a situation is the most vital feature of a
leader or an instructor. When I in school, I was once appointed as the school captain
(Northouse 2015). Being the captain of the school, it was my responsibility to guide all my
classmates and juniors to the correct path. On one such fine day, a new boy joined our school.
As it was his first day, he was extremely nervous. I was given the responsibility to instruct or
guide him to his classroom. Since, I was getting late for my class, I showed him the way to
his classroom and started to walk towards my class. However, due to his nervousness, he
again came back to me and requested me to guide him again (Kearns et al. 2015). I had to
walk with him to his classroom and due to this; I was late for my class. This entire process of
instruction was not at all easy and I had to lose my precious time.
2. Demonstration of critical self review, self-management and lifelong learning.
a. Summarise key changes that you believe you would need to make to your work
behaviours to be a more effective engineer in your country or in another country where
you might be doing engineering.
Answer: I believe that there are various important changes, that are required for making my
work behaviour extremely effective. I am pursuing engineering in Australia and I have
understood that the work behaviour of an effective engineer should not change according to
his or her location (Trevelyan, J., 2014). The key changes that I feel are required for my work
behaviour are as follows:

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ENGINEERING PRACTICE
i) Analytical Aptitude: This is the most important quality that I feel I should have in
my work behaviour.
ii) Creativity: I sometimes lack innovation and creativity. I should be more creative
and this will bring intense success in my work.
iii) Problem Solving Skills: I often get nervous while solving difficult problems or
issues (Trevelyan, J., 2015). The problem solving skill is again one of the most important
characteristic that is required for improving my work behaviour.
iv) Collaborative Work: After reading the book of “The Making of an Expert
Engineer” by James P. Trevelyan, I have understood that collaboration is solely required for
any project and a successful engineer always works collaboratively with his or her team.
These are the key changes that I feel are required for improving my work behaviour.
b. In order to effectively manage a project, you also need to effectively manage your own
time. How effective do you believe you are at managing your time? What are your best and
worst behaviours in terms of time management?
Answer: Time management is the most important and significant characteristic of an engineer
or a professional. I feel that a person, who cannot mange his or her time can never be a
successful professional in his or her life (Forster 2014). I am extremely effective in managing
time. When I am at work, my first priority is always on time. I make sure that I complete
everything on time and this professionalism help me in achieving my personal goals and
objectives. I know that if I will manage my own time, it is evident that I will be successful in
managing my project. I always try to meet the deadline, provided to me (Trevelyan 2014).
My best behaviour in terms of time management is meeting all the deadlines and my worst
behaviour is when I cannot follow my own schedule.

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ENGINEERING PRACTICE
c. Draft a plan for your career. What kinds of companies do you want to work for? What
kinds of work do you want to do? What skills will you need? How might you go about
developing the skills you need but don’t yet have?
Answer: I am a Mechanical engineer. I want to work for core mechanical engineering
companies or organizations that would help me in the successful achievement of my career
goals and objectives (Yadav et al. 2014). Moreover, I wish to share my mechanical
engineering knowledge and skills for the growth and development of the organization. I feel
that I require various skills like problem solving, technical, creativity, interpersonal, team
working, communication, commercial awareness and many more. Amongst all the above
mentioned skills, I do not have the skills of team working and problem solving. I need to
develop them immediately (Trevelyan 2015). Collaboratively working with my team
members and working under pressure can develop these skills within me.

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ENGINEERING PRACTICE
References
Costa, P.L., Passos, A.M. and Bakker, A.B., 2014. Team work engagement: A model of
emergence. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87(2), pp.414-436.
Forster, M., 2014. Do it tomorrow and other secrets of time management. Hachette UK.
Galegher, J., Kraut, R.E. and Egido, C., 2014. Intellectual teamwork: Social and
technological foundations of cooperative work. Psychology Press.
Kearns, K.P., Livingston, J., Scherer, S. and McShane, L., 2015. Leadership skills as
construed by nonprofit chief executives. Leadership & Organization Development
Journal, 36(6), pp.712-727.
Northouse, P.G., 2015. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Trevelyan, J., 2014. The making of an expert engineer. CRC Press.
Trevelyan, J., 2015. Incremental Self-Assessment Rubrics for Capstone Design
Courses. age, 26, p.1.
Yadav, A., Vinh, M., Shaver, G.M., Meckl, P. and Firebaugh, S., 2014. Case‐based
instruction: Improving students' conceptual understanding through cases in a mechanical
engineering course. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51(5), pp.659-677.